The important dung beetle

P eople don’t always realize how important dung beetles are. If it was not for them, Africa would be lying under 2 metres of animal dung. They play such a vital role, that some countries, popular for their cattle ranches have imported these bugs to clean up after the animals.

Eland - The largest African antelope

The largest of all the African antelope species is the Eland. They, in my books, are a sight to behold and one can even say they have a regal look to them. These magnificent animals roam the grasslands, dry forest and also the montane regions in South Africa and can be found here on Kololo and Welgevonden Game Reserves.

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One of the many small things to see in the bushveld

I was having a short walk through Kololo game reserve, having a look at the smaller things nature has to offer, when I came across a beautiful small red flower. I took a picture of it and carried on. When I got back the lodge we went to identify it.

Something new to see, the ostrich!

We were all very happy to learn that we now have something new to see in Welgevonden, as a couple of Ostriches were released not to long ago. It is very exciting to run into these massive birds on game drive and I could not wait to see them for the first time.

A South African Migration

There are many migrations of animals on our planet. From the great migration of wildebeest on the Serengeti, to the humpback whale’s movement, travelling between the tropics, as well the migration of the arctic tern, a bird that covers over 70000 kilometres in its travels between the arctic circle and Antarctica.

Friends and companions

E very living organism on this planet has one important instinct in common – to reproduce. Locating a mate, making sure it is the same species and impressing a potential mate, is all part of the dating dance.

I got to spend some time with a few couples the other day, and it seemed so right. Some animals may be solitary, but some just don’t want to be alone. Instinct is a powerful force and it comes in a variety of aspects in an organism’s life. Mating, migrating, eating, drinking and etc are just some of the things an organism needs to survive and to secure a species’ survival.

The Elephant and their tools

The elephant is an extremely versatile animal. They have the ability to do things some other animals would struggle to do. This is due to the magnificent way in which they are adapted to life in the African bush and how they utilise the tools that they have for a myriad of tasks.

Newborns in the Bush

It is once again that time of the year, where there are babies everywhere. Jackal, Wildebeest, Impala, Zebra, you name it, they have got babies. Most animals are born in the beginning or during the rainy season when food is plentiful and life is relatively easy.

Impala reproduction

The Impala breeding season, also known as the “rutting” season, occurs at the end of the wet season around the month of May and lasts for about three weeks. Male Impalas make a raspy call and can be heard even at night. After a gestation period of seven months, a single fawn is born.

Hippos happy giants or dangerous monsters

The hippo is a bit of an anomaly in nature due to the fact that its looks are quite deceiving. They are a kind of strange, yet cute looking creature which you would expect to be slow and almost playful. This is however not the case, and if challenged in any circumstance, can do a lot of damage. Hippos after all, kill more people in Africa than any other mammal. On average this mighty creature will attack and kill over 500 people every year, which is 400 more than the lion and elephant (each are said to kill 100 people every year on average).

A bird safari

One of my most favourite things to do on game drive, is to spot as many bird species as possible. Here at Kololo I can see more than 10 species at 6 am when departing for a 3 hour drive. In less than 10 minutes, just around the restaurant and reception I get to see some of the most beautiful and conspicuous birds.

Animal facts: The Kudu

Social behaviour

Greater kudu have a life span of 7 to 8 years in the wild, and up to 23 years in captivity. They may be active throughout the 24 hour day. They are not territorial, instead they have a home area/home range where they spend most of their days. Material herds have home ranges of approximately 4 square kilometres, and can overlap with other herds. Adult males have a home range of about 11 square kilometres where they will stay and look for potential mates. Females usually form small groups of 6-10 with their offspring, where male bachelor groups can have up to 20 individuals. Solitary males will join the group of females only in the mating season (April- May)

Our names sake the “Kololo”

The Kololo is the Sepedi (local African language word) for the klipspringer. This small antelope inhabits most of southern Africa and can always be found in mountainous terrain. The name klipspringer directly translated to English, means rock jumper and
they are beautifully built and well suited to doing just that, jumping from rock to rock in the mountainous terrain. Their small slender build and cylindrical shaped hooves make them the perfect animal to live in the precarious terrain in which they
are found.